Family
by BrandiAlyssa
Summary: Neji and Tenten are almost home from a mission when they are ambushed. After beating them soundly, Tenten attempts a question of Neji. She stops mid sentence to stop a kunai from killing him. Will Neji find out what she was trying to ask?


Here's my first attempt at a NejiTen story. Came to me after I finished Life is a Gift this morning. Hoep it's okay.

* * *

Neji ducked under a kunai and assaulted his enemy. More weapons flew at him and his partner. What should have been a simple mission quickly became a fight for their lives. The enemy had ambushed them in the forest outside the village. They were close enough to see the tops of the buildings but still too far for anyone to hear the battle that was taking place.

His partner, Tenten, fought on her own close by. She was battling three shinobi, having taken down two already. She struck another down as she launched a handful of kunai at another. She efficiently moved from one enemy to another and took them down as well. She faced the last of her opponents just as Neji killed his fourth. They both stood before their opponents, ready to fight.

A short battle ensued with the nin from Kohona coming out on top. Tenten gathered her scattered weapons and wiped them clean of blood before storing them. Neji stood to the side assessing the situation. Neither of them was fatally injured, only scrapes and cuts where the enemy had gotten blows in. He watched his teammate stand and walk towards him.

"Ugh, stupid ninja; to attack us so close to home. I just want to get home and clean this blood off now." Tenten gestured to the blood that stained her arms and shoulders. "It's amazing I didn't get any on my clothes. But this is still nasty."

Neji remained expressionless and turned toward the village. "Let's get back; we still have to report to the Hokage." He led the way in silence until he felt a presence. He kept walking but directed his question at her. "Do you feel that?"

"Yeah, but it's only someone in the village; we're close enough to feel the people now you know."

"Right." They continued walking in peace for a short time. He looked up when she spoke again.

"When we get back, do you—do you want to go—Neji!" Tenten threw herself in front of him. He watched a mask of pain cover her face and caught her as her legs gave way. It was then he felt the warm stickiness spreading down her clothes. He pulled his hand away to see crimson blood staining his skin.

A laugh floated to his ears. "Oh my, does the great Hyugga Neji care for the girl? Too bad she's dieing now."

Neji pulled the kunai from her back and threw it towards the voice. A startled gasp and the thud of a body hitting the ground was all he heard as he hoisted his teammate on his back and ran for the village. He could hear Tenten's ragged breathing in his ear and feel it on his neck. "Why did you do it, Tenten? Why?"

"Because I couldn't let you die. You've have a family to watch over; I don't." She fell silent as darkness overcame her.

"Come on Tenten, don't die on me here." Neji dashed through the gates and to the hospital, not even bothering to look at anyone he passed.

Sakura and Hinata watched him pass in a blur. "Was that..?" Sakura asked the heiress, confused by what she saw. Did she just witness Hinata's cousin racing through the village with his teammate in his back?

"I-I think so. But what was Tenten doing…" She looked at her medic friend and they both raced after the pair.

* * *

Neji burst through the hospital door, panting slightly. Tsunade glared at his intrusion, but looked at the girl he carried and jumped into action. She had just taken the konochi into her arms when Sakura and Hinata arrived. "Sakura, time to work." Sakura nodded and followed her sensei into one of the rooms. Neji settled down to wait, his elbows perched on his legs, when his cousin sat beside him and took one of his hands.

"What happened, Neji-nii-san?" Hinata asked timidly.

"Hm," he said. Neji looked over at his cousin and saw she truly wanted to help. "We were ambushed outside the village. It was an easy battle, but they had someone waiting for us. We were on our way back when Tenten stepped in front of me. She had blocked a kunai that would have killed me. I killed the man and brought her back; there was nothing I could do to help her." Hinata stayed silent but remained by his side.

Both of the Hyuggas looked up when Tsunade and Sakura emerged from Tenten's room. "She'll be fine thanks to your speed. Nothing major was pierced but she was hit in an area with a lot of blood vessels. Without your speed and judgment, she may have died. I know you won't ask, but you can see her if you want." Neji nodded curtly and the Hokage left with her apprentice close behind.

"I'm going to go home, Neji-nii-san. I will see you later." Hinata released his hand and left the hospital. Neji sat still for another moment before standing and entering his teammate's room.

The sight before him was not one he had ever wanted to see. Tenten was lying on her stomach, her face towards him. Her eyes were closed in slumber and her breathing was easy. Her hair remained in their buns, a few hairs escaping from the confinement. She would have looked well if not for the heavy bandages across her back. He approached her quietly and ran his eyes over her.

"You shouldn't have stepped in the way; that kunai was meant for me, not you. And now we have to wait for you to get well before we can train again." Neji fell into silence for a second. "But thank you, Tenten, I owe you my life."

"Mmm, how about you say we're even?" Tenten's brown eyes opened and a small smile spread over her face. "I may have saved your life, but you saved mine in return. I would have died out there if it hadn't been for you." They were both quiet, enjoying the silence.

Neji suddenly had a thought. "What were you trying to ask me before you saved me?"

Tenten's cheeks flushed red. "Oh, um, it was nothing; nothing at all." He eyed her suspiciously. "Will you, um, do me a favor? Please." His face was expressionless. "Will you get me something to eat? I'm starving."

He shook his head and opened the door. "I'll be right back." He left before she could even say thanks.

When Neji returned, Tenten was propped up against the pillows. Tsunade was checking how comfortable she was and looked up when he knocked. She nodded and left the two of them alone. He laid out the food on her bedside table and handed her a plate before sitting beside her on the bed. Both of them took what they wanted and ate in silence. Neji's eyes shot up to her when a sigh escaped her lips.

The konochi was poking at the food on her plate. "This isn't how I imagined eating a meal alone with you would be."

"What do you mean?" Neji asked, questioning her thoughts.

Tenten shook her head. "Never mind, it's nothing. Forget I said it."

The Hyugga set his food aside and looked at his teammate seriously. "That's two nothings. There's obviously something going on in that head of yours. And I intend to find out what."

"Since when did you get so perceptive? Oh, right, you're a Hyugga; who could I forget." She rolled her eyes at him. "If you must know, I was asking if you wanted to go—" The door swung open with a bang. Lee and Gai stood there, proclaiming her name.

"Tenten, are you okay? Has your youthfulness been injured?" Lee inquired in his weird way. He was quickly at her bedside, wanting to know how she was.

"I'm fine, Lee. It was only a scratch," Tenten smiled at him, assuring her friend she was well.

"Good to know! Is there anything your youthful self needs?"

"No, Lee; Neji already took care of me."

Lee's smile fell for a nanosecond. "Good for you, my friend. If you need anything, call upon me and I will do it."

"Could you do me something right now?" Tenten looked at her teammate sweetly, knowing he'd do anything for her.

"What is, my youthful friend?"

"Could you leave me alone with Neji for a bit? We need to talk some more."

"Oh," Lee looked sad for a moment, "sure, Tenten, anything for you. I will return later. Goodbye." Lee left quickly, followed by Gai, who waved goodbye.

"You were saying?" Neji resumed after the room became quiet again.

"Right. I was asking if you wanted to—" her voice dropped to barely a whisper, "to go out sometime." Neji was a bit shocked. This was Tenten they were talking about; his teammate, comrade, and friend. She dropped her eyes from him in shame. "It was a bad question. Forget I asked it, ever. No one wants to go out with the family-less girl, who loves weapons."

Neji ignored her. _'Wouldn't t be weird to date Tenten? She's my teammate. What if she…it's Tenten, she wouldn't ask something like that unless she meant it. After all, it's not like I haven't thought about asking her out before.' _He took one of her hands and made her look at him.

"N-Neji?" Her brown eyes were wide with questions.

"Say that again," he commanded.

"What? All I said was 'No one wants to go out with the family-less girl, who loves weapons.' What about it?"

Neji said nothing but quickly closed the gap between them and kissed her. Her initial reaction was shock, but it quickly faded as she responded. He pulled back a little. "I'll go out with you and you're not family-less; you have Lee, and Gai, and, most importantly, me." He kissed her again, light as butterfly wings.

"I love you, Neji," she whispered.

He smiled a real smile before replying, "And I love you, Tenten." He kissed her a third time as the door was opened.

"YOUTHFUL LOVE!! It is the best kind!" Lee was standing in the door way once more.

Tenten threw a kunai at him from nowhere. It missed, hitting the door beside his head with a thud. "GO AWAY, LEE, OR I WON'T MISS NEXT TIME!" Lee was gone, the door closed, in seconds, leaving the two in peace once more. "Next time, we lock the door."

"Agreed."


End file.
